Blaine Leonard, the American Society of Civil Engineers president-elect, gave the keynote address at this year’s Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference, GITA’s annual event. Leonard is the Research Program Manager with the Utah Department of Transportation in Salt Lake City, where he is responsible for balancing research needs and resources within the Department, and for managing a wide variety of research projects. Prior to joining the Department, Blaine spent 20 years as a consulting civil engineer in Utah. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Utah. Mr. Leonard currently serves as the 2009 President-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has served ASCE in numerous capacities at the national and local level, and is currently the Chair of the Task.
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by Joe Francica on 04/21 at 06:23 AM |
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by Joe Francica on 04/20 at 10:01 PM |
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I moderated GITA’s Industry Trends and Analysis Group (ITAG) today in which the group of approximately 75 attendees discussed not only their industry’s key technologies and applications but also the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and how each will attempt to secure funds from the stimulus bill.
But common to each group was a discussion of smart grid technology. Does it apply to just the electric utility industry or do all other sectors have their own "smart grid." As importantly is that each industry must rely on another if they want to conserve funds.
Cyndi Salas (pictured at easel at right) of CenterPoint Energy, the ITAG leader for electric utilities commented that Smart Grid technology is a collection of many technology improvements. Smart Grid is not just one thing; it is really the integration of multiple technologies. Salas also said that it encompasses a broader industry movement that should be treated as a transformative opportunity.
But there were two other concerns: The first is that the ultimate smart technology solution may be a few years down the road. Second, the consumer just wants to lower their energy bill without understanding that a change to their energy consumption behavior would have to be altered even if it is as simple as buying a programmable thermostat.
by Joe Francica on 04/20 at 09:36 PM |
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Today, Tampa Mayor, Pam Iorio, addressed GITA’s Industry Trends and Analysis Group (ITAG) during this first day of the conference. Iorio injected her personal experience with both benefiting from the use of geospatial technology as well as her expectations about receiving funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), aka the "stimulus bill."
"I think the jury is still out,” said Iorio. She mentioned that Tampa was the 54th largest city in the U.S. and that perhaps the 53 other cities were first in line for getting any stimulus money. She doesn’t see where the stimulus will make a difference in the local Tampa economy but does believe President Obama was correct in focusing on infrastructure."
Iorio credited some of the 46% drop in the crime rate over the last six years to the use of crime mapping by her police department. Tampa is also investing $60 million in storm water management and upgrading the city’s subsurface infrastructure is high on the list of the mayor’s priorities. However, she also realizes that it’s not always one of the most "visible" signs of the improvements she has fostered as mayor. She lamented that "you can’t cut a ribbon over a sewer pipe."
by Joe Francica on 04/20 at 08:35 PM |
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Doug Leibbrandt from M. J. Harden and Associates (A GeoEye company) and the current president of the Geospatial Infrastructure and Technology Association (GITA) opened the conference by welcoming the attendees and recognizing this year’s Excellence Award Winners, SECO Engery and Xcel Energy.
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by Joe Francica on 04/20 at 08:02 PM |
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